


My Life Partner... You

by defwithoutsleep



Category: IZONE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Cheesy title, F/F, an attempt at fluff, based on baldurs gate, reworking of the soulmate concept
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2020-02-15 19:29:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18676003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/defwithoutsleep/pseuds/defwithoutsleep
Summary: Chaewon has returned from the Ashterath War as a veteran, but with a special mission. She needs to find herself a soulmate before her 24th birthday, If she doesn't, she dies. This is when her best friend helps her along with a matchmaker to find her special someone...





	1. Returning Home

A small bump in the road woke her up, making her hit her head on the ceiling of the wagon. She groaned, rubbing her head.

 

“Sorry for that, Kim,” Second Liutenant Choi said, grinning. “I told them to go extra harsh on you, you know, as a last fuck you from this war.” The man laughed when Chaewon flipped him off.

 

“But seriously, Kim,” he continued more soberly. “I really hope you follow the Commander’s advice. I’d really like to see you all one day. Might make a adventure party together.”

 

“Not with this junk, I don’t think so,” Chaewon remarked dryly, patting her leg wooden prosthesis.

 

“Life is not over for you yet, Kim.”

 

“But it does seem like it,” Chaewon remarked quietly, knowing that, at least, her military career was over. Years upon years slaving on the ranks of Amn military, only to be taken out by a single Arrow of Fire.

 

Well, that was symplifying things.

 

Things that were best left uncovered, and left alone, perhaps forever.

 

Whatever the case, Chaewon knew that life itself wasn’t over. She still had her family, some friends, and a favor or two she could charge now.

But it was difficult to think about another way of life when she had to bitterly be reminded of reality, no, not just about her now gone leg, but of what awaited her in a few months, when she would become 24 years of age.

 

For the past 100 years or so, by the capricious whim of gods (or so Chaewon felt like), there had been an obligation. After the mythical Sheoreathian War, which had caused a great loss of human life, probably only rivaled by this war that had just passed, the gods had determined a way by which a human should live, in order to avoid something like that again (which failed, by the way). This obligation entailed that for a human to live past the 24 years of age, they should find themselves a life partner, and bond with them at a ceremony of their god’s chapel. After the ceremony, their lives would be forever entwined, to the point where there would be no space for another partner in life.

 

A soulmate, if you will.

 

This, of course, felt too restrictive for Chaewon, who had wished for her whole life to serve her country, and have no impediments to do so.

 

However, she was now being sent back home, and the only thing left for her to do was to look for a wife or husband, and live quietly the rest of her life.

 

Death had seemed an appealing option at first.

 

“C’mon, we’re almost there. Don’t forget the promise you’ve made.”

 

Ah, yes, that promise. The promise she had been made to do a few days ago when she had been drunk out of her mind.

 

I promise to live long enough to see your grandkids, Commander.

 

And that’s why you don’t promise anything while drunk... And that’s also why you shouldn’t get drunk while in the company of the likes of these pigs. Hah, if it wasn’t for them, she would probably already be planning her funeral. Idiots.

 

“I haven’t forgotten,” Chaewon retorted, turning her head to look at the scenery. True enough, they were almost at her home city. The vegetation had already changed to be more lush and green, which indicated that they were close to the bridge that would see them get home.

 

It took a while, but finally they were a few steps from the entrance, which meant that it was time for Chaewon to get off the wagon.

 

“You sure you don’t want to rest for a night?” Chaewon asked, grabbing her sack and throwing onto the ground below.

 

“Nah, I’d rather make it to my post as soon as possible,” he said, helping Chaewon climb down. The younger woman smiled bitterly, but hid her expression quickly.

 

“Alright, then. Don’t let me stop you.”

 

“You promised,” Choi said, pointing a finger at her.

 

“Yes, yes, see you later,” Chaewon said dismissively and started her walk towards the entrance.

 

“Well, well, if it isn’t our soldier Kim Chaewon!” one of the guards said.

 

“How have you been?” Chaewon asked cordially, still remembering the old man with affection. He had been the one to first train her, after all.

 

“We’ve been good, Chaewon-ie, but it’s sad that you have waited until now to come visit.”

 

“I am not just here for a visit, gramp, I’ll be staying here for a while.”

 

“What? Do you mean...?” The old man’s eyes bugged out, appraising Chaewon up and down.

 

“I have been discharged, yes,” Chaewon confirmed, nodding her head slowly. “But not dishonorably.”

 

“No, I would never peg you to be dishonorable, but why then?”

 

Chaewon, grimacing, answered, “I’ll tell over a cup of tea. How’s that sound?”

 

The old man smiled, understanding. “Of course. It is a relief that you are alive and well, with how the war happened.”

 

“It is, I suppose,” Chaewon shrugged. “Well, I’ll be seeing you, gramp.”

 

“See you then, Chaewon-ie. In the afternoon, let’s take a cup of tea!”

 

“Yup,” Chaewon said, continuing her walk towards the city’s main square. Her parents’ house was, for better or for worse, in the most busy district of the city, which made Chaewon’s search through the renovated city easy.

 

When she finally found her house, she took a key from out of her sack and opened the door.

 

Heaving loudly, she looked at her surroundings, submerging in the nostalgia of her younger years.

 

“I’m home.”

 

Leaving her sack next to the kitchen table, she walked towards the bed and threw herself in it, quickly wrapping herself with the bed sheets. The comforting smell of home was intoxicating, and Chaewon found herself falling asleep slowly.

 

“Heyah!”

 

Chaewon’s eyes opened abruptly. Recognizing the voice, she sighed in desperation, waiting for the intruder to come see her. There was no way she was getting out of her blanket burrito.

 

“Chaewon! I knew you’d be there! Some merchant had told me of someone entering this house, so I supposed it was you.” A tall woman appeared in her sight, smiling, as if appraising her self-wrapping skills.

 

“If you knew it was me, why did you enter like that, then?” Chaewon grumbled, even when she secretly felt happy at seeing her friend after a very long time of only communicating through letters.

 

“Why? You didn’t want to see me?” the woman asked, pouting. “Ah, but I wanted to see you, so don’t answer.” The woman threw herself on top of Chaewon.

 

“Ugh, get off. Yujin!” The taller woman laughed, getting off after Chaewon’s few attempts to get her off her.

 

“Right,” Yujin cleared her throat. “How have you been?”

 

“I’ve been better.”

 

“Oh, and you will be better when I show you the interesting things to do here. The city has only grown in your absence. Unless... you aren’t planning on getting a soulmate?”

 

Yujin, as her official best friend, knew all about Chaewon’s aversion to the topic.

 

“I wasn’t,” Chaewon answered. “But I changed my mind.”

 

“That’s great! Believe it or not, I’d like to see you grow old and more bitter than ever!”

 

“You sure know how to make a woman feel special,” Chaewon remarked dryly.

 

“It’s what I do.” Yujin winked. “Anyways, have you thought about who are you going to marry?”

 

“Can’t I marry whomever?” Yujin frowned.

 

“No, you can’t! What if you marry an ogre with a penchant for killing entire towns?”

 

“You know what I mean. I have no one I am interested in, anyways. Who the fuck am I going to find in the space of three months?”

 

“Well, we can always arrange that,” Yujin said. “What if I told you I know a matchmaker who can help us?”

 

“You know a matchmaker?” Chaewon raised an eyebrow, skeptical at Yujin’s assertion. Yujin, hopeless romantic, friends with a matchmaker?

 

“Well, okay, gramps knows her. Potato, Potahto.”

 

“Alright... and?”

 

“Well, we can always arrange for someone for you. You can give your list of requirements to the matchmaker, and she’ll probably find someone dumb enough to accept being your wife.”

 

“You are this close, missy...” Chaewon narrowed her eyes. “But wait, are you okay with it?”

 

“Well, you are right about having no one. I’d marry you myself,” Chaewon snorted. “If it wasn’t for the tiny little fact that I already have a wife.”

 

“Not like I’d want to marry you, brat.”

 

“Yah, I am a catch, if I do say so myself!”

 

“Sure, keep telling yourself that.”

 

“Yah! Then you don’t want my help?” Chaewon sighed.

 

“Sadly, I do.”

 

“Great, then let’s start right now!”

 

“Can’t it wait, like, for a day or two?”

 

“Nope, the sooner we get you a wife, the better.”

 

“Oh, god.”

\--

Now, sitting on Chaewon’s kitchen table, Yujin had gathered some papers, a quill and some ink.

 

“Okay, so, what are your requirements. What do you want in a wife?”

 

“Nothing much. Just someone agreeable.”

 

“So, no requirements at all?” Chaewon touched her temple.

 

“Well, if it had to be stated, then I would want my wife to dislike adventure. I don’t want her to like going out and fighting and treasure hunting.” Yujin raised her eyebrow.

 

“Wow, that’s exactly the opposite of what I expected of you.”

 

Chaewon shrugged. “What can I say? If I can’t go out my wife can’t go either.” That wasn’t necessarily the real reason, but Yujin didn’t need to know.

 

The taller woman laughed. “You sounded so petty, Chaewon-ie. Okay, anything else?”

 

“No, there’s nothing that comes to mind.”

 

“Really? You don’t want her to have some special skills? Know how to cook? Know a specific profession?”

 

“Nah, we’ll make do if that happens. There is one thing, though.” Yujin inclined forward, interested in Chaewon’s caveat. “If the matchmaker brings someone to me, I’d like to get to know them first. I won’t marry a stranger just like that.”

 

“What is the point of matchmaking if you’re going to screen your choices? You could just look for someone here!”

 

“Look at it as a test. The first test for that person is to get through the matchmaker and the second test is to get through me.”

 

“Or... you could write a list of requirements and give them to the matchmaker. How’s that sound?”

 

“I have no other requirements.” Yujin groaned.

 

“You so do! If those were the only requirements... Okay, you know what? Call!”

 

“Really?” Chaewon raised an eyebrow.

 

“Sure, we’ll say that that is another of your requirements,” Yujin said, writing onto the paper. “Wow, if I had known it would be this easy, I wouldn’t have brought these things at all.”

 

“You should already know I am a simple woman, Yujin-ie.” Yujin snorted.

 

“You are not, but that’s okay. We love your grumpy, bitter self.”

 

“And I am sure thankful for it,” Chaewon said sarcastically, but she truly meant the words, and knew Yujin knew it. “When is the matchmaker coming?”

 

“Well, you’re in luck, because she has been staying here for a while, offering her services to people in the city. Gramps will call so she can come tomorrow.”

 

“Wait,” Chaewon narrowed her eyes. “You and gramp already had this planned, didn’t you?”

 

“We did,” Yujin admitted. “Even if we had to drag you to the binding ceremony kicking and screaming.”

 

“I’d like to see you try,” Chaewon said without bite.

 

“Oh, we would manage, even if we had to hire mercenaries.” Chaewon tried hiding her laugh, but was ultimately unsuccessful. The idea of hiring mercenaries just to force her to marry was just... so gramps.

 

“Anyways, what’s up?” Yujin asked.

 

“What’s up with what?”

 

“With your life, of course. What else has been going on aside from what you’ve told me through letters?”

 

“Well, not much, aside from fighting, having my leg blown off, and having to come back.”

 

“Gee, that was brand new information,” Yujin deadpanned. “Seriously, I know something else went on that you haven’t told me.”

 

“I’d rather not talk about it,” Chaewon said, turning her head. “Please, just no,” she continued when Yujin seemed like she was about to argue.

 

“Alright, alright. I won’t ask about it, but I need a fresh supply of stories! So tell away!”

 

Chaewon sighed in relief. “Well, I guess there is this one time...”


	2. Meeting

Chaewon stood stoically in front of the main entrance, her face betraying no expression. Yujin was pacing around nervously, checking Chaewon’s appearance every now and then.

 

“Yujin, could you stop pacing around? I think you’re making Chaewon more nervous,” Yujin’s wife, Jaemin, said exasperated.

 

“This girl right here doesn’t know anxiety,” Yujin said, pointing a finger at the emotionless Chaewon. “She could probably react to a hurricane going through her home with just a shrug of her shoulders.”

 

“Look at her!” Yujin bellowed when Chaewon offered no comment.

 

“Shut up, Yujin. I can hear you,” Chaewon finally growled.

 

“Oh, so you aren’t a statue?”

 

“Yujin!” Jaemin chastised.

 

“That’s the way we get on with each other, don’t we, Chaewon-ie?”

 

“Uh huh. It’s always like this, including my desire to choke the life out of her.”

 

“See?” Yujin said, to then start pacing again.

 

“Yujin, nothing happened. Miss Selja said that Minju will arrive after noon.”

 

“Well, noon has already passed and she isn’t here!”

 

“She will arrive.”

 

“But what if she was intercepted by bandits? What if she got lost? What if in the middle of the road she realized that Chaewon was probably a dick and returned to her home?”

 

“Fuck you.”

 

“See. She probably felt her ugly-ass aura.”

 

“Yujin,” Jaemin sighed, rubbing her temples.

 

A few moments later, Yujin was able to see a carriage advancing in the distance.

 

“There! There! Do you see that?” Chaewon, leaving her place, moved towards Yujin, looking at the direction the taller woman was pointing.

 

“I do see it,” she said quietly, returning to her old place.

 

“Yah! Hey! Why are you going back? Come here and welcome your wife!”

 

“She isn’t my wife, yet, dunderhead.”

 

“Might as well be. Nobody else would come this far for an asshole like you.”

 

“Yujin!” Jaemin chastised again. “Stop bickering. She is almost here!”

 

“Okay, okay. No bickering,” Yujin finally said when the carriage stopped at the entrance.

 

“Are you Kim Chaewon?” the rider of the carriage asked Yujin.

 

“No, I am,” Chaewon asserted, stepping forward. The man appraised her slightly, making Chaewon’s temper flare, but knowing not to cause a scene.

 

“With your military history, I imagined you to be less... petite.”

 

“Really?” Chaewon asked dryly. The man nodded, unaware of Chaewon’s anger.

 

“Well, I’d hoped you’d help Miss Frog climbing down.”

 

“Ah, yes, I will.” Chaewon walked towards the carriage door, disregarding the man’s nickname for the woman inside said carriage. She turned to look at the rider, who gestured towards the door, as if asking Chaewon to open it.

 

Chaewon’s breath was stolen when she took her first look at the woman. She’s beautiful.

 

The woman, who had anxiously been looking down to her fidgeting hands, looked at Chaewon through her eyelashes and jumped slightly when it wasn’t who she expected.

 

“Ah, I’m sorry,” Chaewon said. “The rider told me to welcome you here.”

 

“No, it’s okay. I wasn’t expecting it to be you.”

 

“Is there something wrong with me?” Chaewon asked, trying to tease the woman.

 

“No, no!” Minju said, waving her hands frantically. “No! What I meant was that I thought Mister Rokus... the rider... would... I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Chaewon said, trying to hide an amused smile. “Well, then, may I?” Chaewon extended her hand towards the younger woman, who blushed lightly at the implicit invitation.

 

“Yes, you may.” Minju took Chaewon’s hand and climbed down with the older woman’s help.

 

“There you go,” the rider said when Minju had gotten off the carriage. “The luggage is there at the back. Do you want me to help you with it?”

 

“No, I’ll get it,” Chaewon said, stepping to the place the rider had said and grabbing the luggage. When Chaewon was again next to Minju, she put the luggage on the ground and stuck her hand out again.

 

“Nice to meet you, I’m Kim Chaewon.”

 

“Nice to meet you, I’m Kim Minju,” the younger woman shook her hand, smiling shyly at Chaewon.

 

“Ah, and these people are Ahn Yujin, my friend, and Yoo Jaemin, her wife,” Chaewon continued after her friend not-so-subtly cleared her throat.

 

“Nice to meet you, Ahn Daeng Daeng at your service!” Yujin huffed when her wife hit her with her elbow.

 

“Nice to meet you, I’m Yoo Jaemin,” the woman said, smiling kindly at the overwhelmed newcomer.

 

“Nice to meet you both.”

 

“Well, it is time for me to get on the road. I’ll see you soon, Minju,” the rider said, giving the younger woman a hug. “Hopefully you’ll go back with a new wife,” he whispered before the hug ended.

 

“Yes,” Minju cleared her throat, her face scarlet. “We’ll see each other soon.”

 

“Well, it was nice to meet you, Kim Chaewon. I hope you’ll take care of our Minnie here.”

 

“Yes, I’ll do my best to accommodate her,” Chaewon said, shaking the man’s hand.

 

After the carriage was gone from sight, Chaewon turned to look at Minju, who still looked in the carriage’s direction.

 

“Well, then, shall we get you accommodated?” Chaewon asked, grabbing onto the luggage again.

 

“Yes, please.” Both women started walking in silence towards the inn Minju would be staying at, while two other people followed them, leaving space for them to be.

 

“Do you see that?” Yujin said, slapping her wife’s back.

 

“I do,” Jaemin answered, smiling, strangely feeling like a proud mom.

 

“Who would’ve thought Miss I’d-rather-die-than-get-a-soulmate would get smitten so fast?”

 

“Mhmm...” Even Jaemin, who had known Chaewon for a short period of time was surprised by the woman’s reaction to Minju.

 

“I hope they get along with each other.”


	3. City Folk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Druid: Priest that serves the cause of nature and neutrality. The wilderness is his community and they use special powers to protect it and preserve the balance of the world.
> 
> Shadow Druids: Druidic cult active which believes that nature should drive out civilization with violence.

After a restless night, both women were sitting at the table in Chaewon’s house, both waiting for the tea Yujin was preparing in the kitchen. None of the girls spoke anything, uncomfortable by the extra person in the room. While Chaewon was silently keeping an eye on Yujin, Minju looked around Chaewon’s house.

 

Although she knew that Chaewon was living in the city, she didn’t expect her house to be this inviting. The decoration was sparse and homey, nothing like she expected from a city dweller. What caught her attention the most was the small painting hung next to the closet.

 

“Here you go,” Yujin said, putting two cups of tea on the table.

 

“Took you long enough,” Chaewon, her host (and probable future soulmate), grumbled. It made Minju smile when the woman, despite her complaints, thanked Yujin under her breath, as if she didn’t want to be heard.

 

She thanked Yujin with a small smile and turned to look back at Chaewon, who was looking at the tea cup she had taken.

 

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Yujin sang before leaving the house, making Chaewon grumble some more before clearing her throat.

 

“So, where do you come from?” Chaewon asked, now focusing entirely on her, making her feel a little nervous.

 

“Y-you don’t know?” she asked, surprised.

 

“I do, but I want to hear about you from you,” Chaewon said, taking the cup and giving the tea a small sip.

 

“Well, I grew up in Port Novello, but moved to Cauley when I was a teenager. My parents had been fishers when they were entrusted with my grandparents farm there.”

 

“Hmmm,” Chaewon said, as if in thought. “Was the transition difficult?”

 

“For my father, yes. Having been a fisher his whole life, it was difficult to take care of a farm, much more so rebuild it from its shambles.”

 

Chaewon looked surprised. “From shambles?”

 

Minju looked away. “Yes. Before we moved there, there were a group of Shadow Druids that started to live close to Cauley, caused a natural disaster, and my grandparents’ lives were lost.”

 

Chaewon’s features softened. “I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have reminded you of that.”

 

Minju managed to give a weak smile, turning to look at Chaewon again. “It’s okay. It’s something that has already passed.”

 

“Still, I shouldn’t have.”

 

“I know you didn’t mean harm.”

 

“Ah, uh,” Chaewon scrambled to change the topic. “So, if I may ask, what prompted you to look for the services of a matchmaker?”

 

“Ah,” Minju was surprised with the question. “Well, as I already told you, the Shadow Druids made a huge mess on Cauley, so most of the youth was driven out. In fact, I am the only young adult there. So, there was no one to marry.”

 

Chaewon hummed.

 

“What about you?” Minju turned the question around.

 

“Oh,” Chaewon scratched her neck. “Well, do you...? Has the matchmaker told you about...?”

 

“Your leg? Yes, I know.” It had been one of the first things she had been told. Minju had accepted Chaewon’s petition to meet regardless. She was sure that if the person she met was a kind one, she wouldn’t care about any physical condition.

 

“That’s good,” Chaewon exclaimed with relief, to then continue with a darker expression. “There isn’t many people who would marry a cripple.”

 

Minju wanted to argue, but Chaewon smiled grimly, as if conveying that despite her own feelings about the topic, she had come to terms with it. It made Minju’s heart ache.

 

“Moreover, the people around here are more prone to want to look for adventure and travel, and I’d rather not have a partner that travels around.” Minju perked.

 

“Was that one of your requirements?”

 

“It was one of them, yes.” Now it made sense. Cauley was far from this city, Lovac, so to Minju it made no sense that someone living in a city this big would search for a soulmate elsewhere.

 

“Were there any others?”

 

“That, and us meeting.” Minju nodded.

 

“And? Have you lived in Lovac all your life?”

 

Chaewon hummed. “Yup, my parents were merchants and helped out with a pub in the Septentry District.”

 

“So, you are not a merchant?”

 

“No, after my parents died, I left the business in my uncle’s care and left for the military.”

 

“I am sorry to hear that.” Chaewon shrugged her shoulders.

 

“I was happy to serve my country, even when my first years were very rough.”

 

“Was it difficult?”

 

“Well, as you can see, I am not exactly a big presence, so learning to fight took a lot of time to master. I had to learn to dodge blows instead of blocking them. It helped my case, though. Most people are not trained to deal with a small-framed woman like me, so I ended using that to my advantage.”

 

“I can imagine,” Minju said, conjuring the image of a fighting Chaewon in her head. She couldn’t say she disliked the image.

 

“I have lots of interesting stories from there, if you’re willing to lend an ear,” Chaewon offered, surprising Minju, who hadn’t known how to talk about these topics without being (unintentionally) hurtful.

 

“Sure, I’m all ears.”

 

And just like that, the whole morning went by a blur, having both women tell each other funny stories about their experiences, being only interrupted when Yujin knocked on the door.

 

“Yah! You better finish whatever you’re doing in there! It’s already lunch time!”

 

Chaewon wanted to yell back at Yujin to mind her own business when she was struck with a thought.

 

“That’s right. Are you hungry? Shall we go eat?”

 

“That would be nice,” Minju acquiesced, turning her head to hide her blush at Yujin’s insinuation. She had already felt the pangs of hunger a few moments ago, but had been too immersed in one of Chaewon’s stories to tell the woman about it.

 

“If it’s not too much for you, we’ll be eating at Yujin and Jaemin’s house.”

 

“No, it’s okay. I’m sure it will be delicious.” Minju knew that if she was to marry Chaewon, she would have to win her friends over as well.

 

“It will be interesting, alright,” Chaewon commented under her breath, standing up from her chair. “Do you need help?”

 

“No, don’t worry.” Minju found charming (in an strange way) that Chaewon was always in a rush to try making her feel comfortable in every possible way. Standing up, she smiled at Chaewon, who also smiled at her.

 

“Well, then, let’s go.”

 

The newlyweds’ house was close to Chaewon’s own house, so the walk there wasn’t long. Even then, Minju took that time to marvel at what she saw. It had been the first time she had travelled to a big city and when she had first arrived, she had been too nervous she hadn’t even noticed her surroundings.

 

This district was basically filled with vendors (probably because Chaewon’s parents used to work here) and few inns and pubs. One place that she was intrigued by was the circus tent. She hoped Chaewon would take her there at least once.

 

Without knocking, Chaewon opened the door to Yujin’s house, quickly making herself at home. Jaemin was the first person they saw, as she was already sitting at the table.

 

“Welcome, hope you are hungry,” Jaemin said, smiling softly at the pair, which made Minju unwind a little.

 

“We are, thank you for cooking,” Chaewon answered, taking off her shoes.

 

“Oh no, I can’t cook. Yujin is the cook of this house.”

 

“Yujin?!” Minju couldn’t see Chaewon’s face (as she was taking her shoes), but she could swear Chaewon’s face was contorted in a mixture of surprise and incredulity. “You... you know how to cook?”

 

When Minju finally stood straight, she could see that Yujin was already putting the plates on the table.

 

“Not too shabby, ey? I had to learn because Jae has almost burned the house before.”

 

“It was one time,” the other woman mumbled, ashamed at the memory.

 

“It’s okay. It’s the thought that counts,” Yujin said, squeezing lightly her wife’s shoulder. “Well, then, sit, sit! It’s time to eat.”

 

Minju sat at the last chair in the table, feeling more comfortable there, while Chaewon took a seat next to her. Although she knew she probably should have manners in a stranger’s home, as soon as she took her first bite, she shoved the food in her mouth at a high speed.

 

“Wow, you sure are hungry,” Jaemin commented with surprise.

 

“Sorry,” Minju apologized, slowing down.

 

“Nah, it’s cool. It means my food is great.”

 

Chaewon snorted. “Don’t flatter yourself too much.”

 

“I can see you like it, too. Don’t lie, Chaewon-ie.”

 

Chaewon shrugged her shoulders. “Mmm, it’s decent.”

 

“Yes! I’d like to let you know,” Yujin said, turning to Minju “That this is the highest praise you can receive from Chaewon.”

 

The aforementioned woman narrowed her eyes. “That’s not true.”

 

“It is! When we were fifteen, there was a race the district had organized for us, teens. When I won, you know what she said? ‘You were decent.’” Minju laughed, imagining a younger Chaewon feigning being unimpressed at her friends accomplishments.

 

“Well, what did you want me to say? You did well,” Chaewon said, to immediately shove a spoon of food into her mouth.

 

“Wow, Chaewon has complimented my food and my speed all in one day. Are you secretly a Mage? What kind of spell have you put on her, Kim Minju?”

 

“We have just been talking to each other,” she said, truly wondering if it’s rare for Chaewon to praise others.

 

“Well, your talk is truly magic!” Yujin said, giving a sly look at Chaewon, who only looked at her with distaste. “So! I had one question!”

 

“Sure. What is it?”

 

“When you get married, would you come to live here or would Chaewon leave with you?” Chaewon started choking on her food while Minju blushed, wanting to help Chaewon but feeling too shy to even turn to look at her.

 

“Yujin...” Chaewon glowered, but Minju interrupted any homicide attempt that might happen.

 

“I... I’d rather if she went to live with me.” Minju couldn’t even take a peek at Chaewon, but if she had, she would have noticed the latter had coyly ducked her head, the tip of her ears completely red.

 

“Is that so? Don’t you like the city?” Yujin asked, her expression more serious.

 

“It’s okay, but I don’t think I would ever feel comfortable living here. Besides, I want to continue helping my parents with the farm, so I hoped... Chaewon would come with me.”

 

“So you would get married there?” Yujin continued questioning.

 

“I’m not sure my parents can come all the way here, but if Chaewon doesn’t want to, then...” Minju hoped she hadn’t made Chaewon uncomfortable, as it was obvious for the younger woman that Chaewon was being cautious (made obvious by Chaewon making Minju come here to meet her).

 

“I-I think it’s okay. Marrying there. I don’t mind.” Minju turned to look at Chaewon, feeling relief.

 

“R-really?”

 

“Of course.” Chaewon turned at Yujin. “Have you finished questioning our guest, Ahn Yujin?” It seemed as if both women were arguing with each other through the gazes they shot at each other.

 

“Yup! That’s all I needed to know!” Yujin exclaimed after a moment. “Have I ever told you about that one time when Chaewon vomited on someone’s shoes?”

 

“Yujin...” Chaewon grumbled as a warning, but didn’t say anything else after Minju laughed.

 

“No, you haven’t,” Minju giggled, but stopped abruptly, turning to look at Chaewon. “Is it okay?” Chaewon looked at her surprised, as if she didn’t understand the question, but after a moment, she seemingly understood.

 

“There was this one time when Yujin dared me to get inside a wheel and roll down the stairs. Feeling invincible, I did, but the wheel couldn’t support my body, so I ended up being thrown onto the stairs. I continued rolling for a while. When I finally stopped and stood up, I ended up vomiting on the shoes of a person who had stopped to help me.” Minju would’ve guessed, by the warning she gave Yujin, that she would reluctant to tell this story, but she seemed relaxed, even amused, at remembering the story.

 

“I couldn’t believe she had actually listened to me,” Yujin said, cackling.

 

“And this why I don’t listen to you now,” Chaewon shot back, but laughed slightly.

 

“Well, I can’t say that hasn’t happened to me,” Minju said, giggling. “There was this one time when I tried climbing to the roof of the barn, but I ended up falling onto fence. When my dad grabbed me to help me, I ended up vomiting on his clothes.”

 

“Ouch,” Chaewon commented, scrunching her nose.

 

“I wasn’t as high as you might think I was. I think it was just hitting the fence what triggered the puke.”

 

“Well, as much as I like talking about puke,” Jaemin interrupted. “I’d rather we change the topic.”

 

“True, sorry, Jae.”

 

Chaewon arched an eyebrow. “Yujin, complying and apologizing?”

 

“Yah, in a few months, you’re going to be like me, so don’t mock me!” Yujin pointed a finger at Chaewon, who rolled her eyes, despite the obvious blush on the tip of her ears. “Well, I’ve noticed everyone has already finished their food, so you two, go! Talk! Enjoy your day alone!” Yujin exclaimed, shooing both of them out.

 

“Nice hospitality,” Chaewon commented dryly.

 

“Remember that our Minju here is returning to her home tomorrow, so you have to make the best of your time. Go on, I’m sure Chaewon will entertain you better than us,” Yujin dismissed with a wave, directing the last part to Minju, who was reminded of the brevity of the journey. Maybe one day she could visit them again...

 

“Okay, okay,” Chaewon said, directing them both to the door. When they were finally out, Chaewon questioned her, “We have already been together the whole morning. Would you like to rest?”

 

“Are you already tired?” Minju asked, the thought of having already wore Chaewon out making her anxious.

 

“No, I’m just afraid that you’ll get overwhelmed. After all, you’re surrounded by strangers.”

 

“Yujin and Jaemin are not strangers to me anymore,” Minju reassured Chaewon, who looked at her, as if she was making a decision.

 

“And me? Am I a stranger?” she said after a pause.

 

“Not at all,” Minju answered. “I’ve enjoyed my time with you,” she added shyly.

 

“I’ve enjoyed my time with you, too,” Chaewon mumbled, ducking her head slightly. Clearing her throat, she asked, “What would you like to do then?”

 

“Hmm, can we go explore the city?”

 

“You want to go to other districts?”

 

“No, just this one.” As it was, this district was already too big and crowded. She couldn’t imagine how overwhelmed she would feel if she visited the remaining districts.

 

“Okay, let’s go then.”

 

Even though at first the district had seemed insurmountable, it seemed so simple when Chaewon talked about it. Despite having been already many years out of this city (as far a Minju knew), it seemed as if Chaewon still knew it like the back of her hand. The vendors had so many things to sell, even things she wouldn’t see in bigger towns.

 

Chaewon had offered buying her a ring, but she declined, not being too much into jewelry and not wanting Chaewon to pay for something she could barely wear while working at the farm.

 

Finally, they reached the circus tent, and Minju was excited. She turned to look at Chaewon, just as she had finished talking about the circus, making the latter turn to meet her gaze.

 

“You want to go in?” Chaewon asked, unsure.

 

“Yes, please.” And so they entered.

 

It was such an interesting place. They had many people that knew so many tricks. They first went through the monocycle clown, who juggled small wooden balls in his hands while riding. Then there was the contortionist, who managed to knot herself in so many shapes it left Minju’s head spinning. At last, they arrived with a man who claimed to be able to swallow swords. It was amazing.

 

He had been in the middle of swallowing the first sword when Minju turned excitedly to look at Chaewon. She immediately sensed something was wrong when she saw horror in Chaewon’s face.

 

“Chaewon?” But the woman seemed to be in a trance, frozen in terror at the sight.

 

“Chaewon,” Minju said insistently, shaking the woman slightly. It took Minju shaking her roughly to finally wake Chaewon out of her stupor.

 

“Huh, what?” Chaewon asked fearfully, disoriented. When she saw Minju’s worried face, she seemed to deflate. “Oh, god, I’m so sorry.”

 

“No, no. You don’t have to apologize,” Minju said, taking Chaewon’s hand and taking her out of the tent. “There’s nothing for you to apologize.”

 

“There is. You were enjoying the show and I just had to go and do that,” Chaewon said, turning her head to avoid looking at Minju.

 

“Chaewon?” Minju tried looking into Chaewon’s eyes, but the latter was avoiding meeting her gaze. “Chaewon, please, look at me.” Instead, Chaewon ducked her head.

 

“I think you shouldn’t get married to me, Kim Minju.”

 

“What? Why?” Minju tried again to look into the older woman’s eyes, but the latter just continued avoiding.

 

“There was something the matchmaker didn’t tell you, and that is... my head is messed up. I am messed up. This... whatever it is, happens to me all the time. I thought this would get cured when I returned to the city, but I...”

 

“Since when?” Minju asked softly, finally looking at Chaewon’s hands, which were in a fist, knuckles turned white.

 

“Since the battle previous to the last battle, when Era... no...I” Chaewon seemed as if she was on the verge of another horror trip, so Minju thought quick about what she could do. Grabbing onto one of Chaewon’s hands, she tried extending it gently.

 

“Chaewon, please, please, raise your head and look at me.” But when Chaewon didn’t do as she was asked, Minju sighed sadly. “I want to marry you.” This made Chaewon’s head shoot up. “I want to marry you,” Minju repeated.

 

“Why?” Chaewon asked in wonder.

 

“Ever since I arrived, you have been nothing but kind to me. You are... interesting, helpful, and funny, and I am sure I will discover more positive things about you the more I get to know you. You love your family, your friends, even if you are grumpy with them sometimes. You have looked for my well-being, doing whatever in your power to make me feel at home.”

 

“But there are bad things of me.”

 

“Everyone has a bad side to themselves. I am not perfect, and I have done my best to show you the best side of me. Eventually we will see each other’s bad side, but whatever difficulties we may have between us, we will face them, together.”

 

“And you want to deal with that? Forever? This cannot be reversed.”

 

“I want to marry you,” Minju reiterated. There was a slight pause.

 

“I...” Chaewon looked as if she was close to crying, but she seemed to be fighting with herself.

 

“It’s okay if you cry,” Minju said quietly.

 

“I won’t,” Chaewon stated, her gaze suddenly steely. She turned to look at Minju again and her gaze turned soft again.

 

“Can... Can I hug you?” Minju was delightfully surprised.

 

“Of course.” And she was engulfed in what she swore was the warmest hug she had ever received. Minju held onto Chaewon tightly, letting the conversation lull for a moment in favor of conveying as much consoling as she could. After a moment, Minju wanted to end the hug to check up on Chaewon, but the latter didn’t let her, hugging her tightly.

 

“I want to marry you too.”


	4. Welcome to the Farm

If Chaewon had to enumerate her most difficult trials, the list would probably be like this:

 

3° Having her first test as a soldier. She had trained the whole week before the test without rest, and when she finally passed the test, she fainted on her friend, completely exhausted. It earned her the respect people didn’t show her when she first arrived, so she counted the test as an absolute victory.

 

2° Losing the Kertank Battle. Enough said.

 

1° Going to Minju’s house.

 

When she had accepted to marry Minju, she hadn’t thought about it at all. She had been so over the moon with Minju’s acceptance that to her, there was no thing on earth that could ruin her good humor.

 

[

Both women stood alone in front of the carriage that would take Minju home. The younger woman had already said her goodbyes to Yujin and Jaemin, who excitedly wished her luck in the wedding preparations. Chaewon, on the other hand, had greeted the rider, Mr Rokus, in a haste, only caring about looking at Minju as much as she could before she left.

 

She is not whipped, or whatever Yujin called her.

 

“Have you brought everything with you?” Chaewon asked.

 

“Yup. All essentials and your gifts, too. Don’t worry, they’ll love it,” Minju reassured, smiling at her, though Chaewon could sense Minju wasn’t as keen on leaving, which made her feel slightly better.

 

“Good,” Chaewon said, smiling. “So.” She cleared her throat. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

 

“Well,” Minju said playfully. “You could perhaps give me another hug, for good luck.”

 

Chaewon didn’t even think about it twice. Hugging Minju felt like a balm to her soul, something warm and filled with affection she barely let herself have.

 

“I’m going to miss you,” Chaewon said, and it was the truth. How had she gained so much affection for the woman in a single day?

 

“Me too” Minju answered. Chaewon smiled when she felt Minju smile.

 

“I’m sorry to interrupt your last moments, but if you want your sweetheart to arrive at the next inn before the night befalls, we need to go now,” the driver said, which made Chaewon growl in irritation. It didn’t make him be any less right, though.

 

“Okay, take care,” Chaewon said, reluctantly pulling away from Minju.

 

“We’ll see each other in a few days.” Minju took Chaewon’s right hand and caressed it lightly for a moment before letting go. Chaewon had to restrain herself from embracing Minju again. She knew at this rate, she would never let Minju leave. Instead, she just waited until the carriage couldn’t even be seen in the distance to start walking to her house, already feeling lonely without someone at her side.

 

She was going to marry. She couldn’t believe it. If someone had told her in the past that she would have a soulmate and that she would accept it wholeheartedly, she would have called that person crazy.

 

But now, here she was, missing a person she had just known for a day.

 

But, well, Minju was right. They would see each other in a few days, she would get to see Minju’s home, meet her family, and marry her. It was just a matter of days.

 

Wait.

 

She is going to meet Minju’s parents.

 

Well, shit.

]

 

It’s not that there is something wrong with meeting anyone’s parents. It’s just that, well, she is not the most friendly person on this planet (not that she goes out of her way to antagonize people, mind you). She has been told that she sports the biggest resting bitch face ever by, well, her whole squad, and she didn’t take well to meeting new people.

 

And in reality, she doesn’t care much about getting into people’s good graces. As long as she knew she was doing what was good for her country, the rest was only details. People that disliked her were none of her concern. They could do as they pleased, just as she did what she pleased.

 

But it’s her (almost) soulmate’s parents.

 

If there’s anyone she has to impress, it’s them. After all, she is marrying their daughter. No parent wants an asshole for an in-law, nor for their daughter’s soulmate. It’s a debt of gratitude. Plus, she is going to live with them. If things go as planned, she is moving there after the wedding (obviously in a different building, but in the same farm, so there’s not much difference). There was no space for anger or disenchantment.

 

It made Chaewon anxious. She bought the best clothes she could get (well, maybe she didn’t chose the priciest pants, as they weren’t long enough to cover her wooden leg) and she planned their first meeting, making a strategy thinking of every possible scenario, so that she would get the victory.

 

But it all went to hell when she arrived.

 

Minju’s parents, far from disappointed and intimidating, were extremely excited to see her, hugging the air out of her. She would have been annoyed at the unsolicited physical contact, if not for the relief she felt at the welcome.

 

They didn’t bombard her with inquiries, they didn’t question her intentions with their daughter, they didn’t require her life history. They just... simply took her luggage to the adjacent house she and Minju would be living at after the ceremony and sat her at the kitchen table, serving her a glass of lemonade.

 

The time she spent alone at the kitchen made her a little nervous, but she tried busying herself with looking at her surroundings. The kitchen was extremely practical, enough to cook a decent meal. There was no decoration, nothing that talked much about the Kims’ personalities. It was a humble house and nothing alike the houses her district.

 

Mind you, she didn’t care much for physical possessions, but she always thought that a well-adorned house made things feel more at home. It added a personal touch. Maybe next time she went back to the city she would buy some things for her house. For now the only thing that could be decoration was the painting she had hung up on her house after her parents’ demise, a precious memory of them and something she would like anyone who visited to see.

 

The lemonade was fresh, as if it had been made very recently. Had they prepared this just for her? Could it be?

 

She dismissed the thoughts and continued drinking the lemonade.

 

“Okay, here we are!” Mr Kim announced, opening the door to the house, making Chaewon turn her head to face them as they entered.

 

“So, if it’s not too much for you, we would like Minju to show you the farm. We’ll have time to chat when we get dinner,” the father said kindly.

 

“Alright,” Chaewon said, standing up. “Where should I put this?” she asked, gesturing at the glass.

 

“Oh, leave it to me,” the woman said. “Go on, have fun with Minnie!”

 

“If it’s not too much trouble.” Chaewon bowed before Minju took her hand in hers.

 

“Shall we go?” Minju asked with a radiant smile.

 

“Let’s go,” Chaewon acquiesced, giving Minju a smile of her own.

 

The older woman had to used her other hand to protect her eyes from the sun, which was still high in the sky.

 

She was happy she had come by walking, as the travel had been less stuffy than if she had decided to use a carriage, moreover, she would have arrived at nighttime, when she wouldn’t even be able to spend time with Minju. Plus, it made her feel as if she still had it in her to be adventurous, even if that ship had already sailed.

 

“Where to?” Chaewon asked lightly, turning to look at Minju.

 

“It’s a surprise,” Minju replied playfully, squeezing Chaewon’s hand. Chaewon trusted Minju’s judgement, and let herself be guided to the first place.

 

“When we first arrived after the Shadow Druids left, the whole farm had been at a disarray, so much so that we had to basically build everything from scratch.”

 

“You too?”

 

“I’m very resourceful, believe it or not. I’m not always falling from the barn roof.” It made Chaewon laugh slightly.

 

“Alright, then. I won’t question your resourcefulness.” Both women walked towards a small pen.

 

“So, here is the chicken coop. We only use the chickens here to eat their eggs. However, we don’t like slaughtering them, so we tend not to eat chicken.”

 

“I always thought that farmers were the most carnivorous of them all.”

 

“We like taking care of the animals,” Minju shrugged. “Plus, we usually don’t exchange goods with others, so there’s no reason to kill them.” Chaewon only hummed in response.

 

“I wanted to show you this first because I built this on my own,” she said with pride.

 

“Really?” Chaewon was surprised (and a little impressed).

 

“Yeah. When we were still rebuilding everything, my dad just gave me a wooden board and told me, ‘try doing the chicken coop’. I didn’t rest until I finished it.”

 

“Wow. Well, it’s neat,” Chaewon praised. “Why don’t you exchange goods, by the way?” Minju looked shocked by the question.

 

“I mean... well...”

 

“Or you can tell me later. It’s okay,” Chaewon soothed, sensing that this was a sensitive topic for the woman. Minju still looked at her nervously, but Chaewon just smiled at her, trying to convey that she wasn’t angry at the lack of an answer.

 

She then turned her head around, trying to get a good look at the chickens. She hoped it was enough.

 

“O-okay, well, we usually feed in the morning from the grain that we grow,” Minju explained clumsily.

 

“Really? But doesn’t it take a while for grain to grow?” Chaewon asked.

 

“It does. That’s why we store it in the barn and only use it to feed the chickens.”

 

“You don’t bake bread?”

 

“We do, just not as often.” Chaewon hummed.

 

“And the barn? What kind of animals you keep there?”

 

“Just cows, not much else.”

 

“Am I going to see... What is that?” Chaewon asked absentmindedly.

 

“What is what?” Minju laughed nervously, but Chaewon didn’t answer, instead walking closer to a huge mark.

 

“This... this is a claw mark, made by a huge animal,” Chaewon analyzed. “Have your parents had any problems with animals?”

 

“Not that I know of?” Minju answered, coming closer to Chaewon. “I’m sure it’s nothing,” she said soothingly, grabbing Chaewon’s hand again.

 

“This doesn’t seem like nothing,” Chaewon rebutted seriously. “It would be better to tell your parents about this.” Minju nodded.

 

“But let’s do it later, please? I want us to finish the tour first.” Against Chaewon’s better judgment, she agreed with Minju, letting her lead her to another place of the farm. The rest of the tour was without incident, only ending when Minju’s mother called them for supper.

 

“How did you like the farm?” Minju’s mom put a plate of potage in front of Chaewon.

 

“Thank you. I think it’s warm, very cozy,” Chaewon answered, keeping her own conflicting feelings at the idea of living a life she had never wished for to herself. 

 

“Then that means our Minnie has given you a nice tour.”

 

“She did,” Chaewon acquiesced. "She could really make a living out of it." She cleared her throat. "I don't mean to ruin the meal, but I feel it's important. There are some beast marks on the ground, next to the chicken coop." At her words, Minju's father's face grew serious.

 

"Is that true? Then maybe I should check it before going to sleep. Thank you for telling me Chaewon."

 

"Now, now, let's eat and forget about those things for a moment. After all, you're still a guest, and I don't want you to worry about these things... yet." Minju's mom winked. 

 

"Guess you're right," Chaewon said. Still, she didn't want anything to happen to Minju or her family, so she couldn't shake off the urgency to look for the beast.

 

Maybe she'd do it later. 

 

"So, have you ever done any farm work?" Minju's dad asked when everyone was already seated at the table. 

 

"Not really. I grew up in the city, after all."

 

"City kid, huh?" Minju's dad drank from the bowl. "Minnie told us you were at the military." At Chaewon's nod, he continued. "Back when I was a lad, before I met Jiwon, I had thought about getting in the army."

 

"You didn't?" Chaewon asked even when she already guessed the answer. 

 

"I tried," he said, surprising Chaewon. "Stayed at the barracks for a while but realized it wasn't for me. So I congratulate you, couldn't imagine going to war in this climate." 

 

"Dad," Minju hissed, surprising Chaewon for a second time. Minju had been almost... protective of Chaewon. It was a little endearing, though too excessive. 

 

"Thanks," Chaewon answered shortly. "Though I can't say war was easy for anyone, soldier or not." 

 

"That it wasn't," Minju's dad affirmed, sending a confused look at his daughter, which made Chaewon feel relieved. She didn't want them to know about her weird flashbacks. "Anyway, what do your parents do?"

 

"Dad!" 

 

"It's okay, Minju," Chaewon said placatingly, laying a hand on her leg, weirded out by Minju's reaction. Minju just bowed her head. Why was she so defensive?

 

"My parents, before they passed away, were merchants in one of the districts of Lovac," Chaewon explained, giving Minju sideway glances. "They dealt with all types of things, but mostly provided for one of pubs there."

 

"That's great! Maybe one day we can visit!" Chaewon expected Minju to exclaim again, but she said nothing, which worried Chaewon more.

 

"Hopefully you can, sir."

 

"I'd wish you'd call us dad and mom, instead," Minju's dad asked, glanced at Minju to then add. "If that's okay with you."

 

"Maybe auntie and uncle," Chaewon said, not really feeling comfortable, as it felt like replacing her parents.

 

"We'd like that," Auntie exclaimed, smiling softly at Chaewon. "Let me take your plate," she said, standing up and taking everyone's plates.

 

"Would you like me to wash the..." Chaewon wasn't even able to finish her sentence before she was shooed.

 

"No, dear. It's not your time yet. When you two marry, better expect to wash all our dishes," the woman said jokingly, walking to the kitchen and leaving the plates there. "It's about to get dark, so I think it's better we go to sleep. Minju, could you please show Chaewon her room?"

 

"Right, follow me, Chaewon," Minju said quietly, standing up. Chaewon followed her without a verbal response. It wasn't until they were outside the house that Chaewon spoke.

 

"Why are you so... tense?" Minju tensed even more at the question.

 

"I'm sorry. I don't even know what came over me," she apologized, but the younger woman looked everywhere except at Chaewon, making her feel a pang of sadness.

 

"Please tell me. Does it bother you that I was at the war?" Minju's head raised immediately.

 

"No, of course not." Chaewon raised an eyebrow, to then grab Minju's hand.

 

"I'd really like you to tell me. I don't want to go to sleep with this situation like this." Minju bit her lip.

 

"It's just... It's dumb, I guess... I wouldn't want my parents to make you feel uncomfortable. I know you trusted me with so many things, so I didn't tell, and hoped they wouldn't bring it up, but they did and..." Chaewon squeezed Minju's hand, stopping her rambling.

 

"Thank you for trying to respect my boundaries. I don't mind talking about the war or my parents death. I guess that the only thing I'd wish for you to keep to yourself would be that... thing that happened at the circus tent." There was a small silence.

 

"Okay, your secret is safe with me," Minju smiled, but Chaewon could see something was still weighing on her mind.  Still, she didn't want to push for more, so she just squeezed Minju's hand again to let go. "So," Chaewon started, hoping to cheer Minju up. "Where am I sleeping?"

 

"Where standing right in front of our house, or... well, our house after we get married," those words still seemed to make Minju feel shy, as her expression softened. "But for now it's yours." Minju opened the door to the house. "It's not as fancy as the city, but I hope you like it." The house was even smaller than Minju's parents' house, but there seemed to be a warmth to it that she couldn't find in her own house... or maybe it's just Chaewon feeling this warmth at the thought of it being their house.

 

"I like it, a lot." Chaewon smiled, wandering around the house.

 

"Well, my dad built a small kitchen so we don't have to always eat with them if you don't wish to. There is a small table for two there, and our bed is there."

 

"Nice," Chaewon remarked, sitting on the bed. "The ceiling is a bit high."

 

"I-is it?"

 

"Yeah, not something I see in a house in the city, but that's nice. It feels less claustrophobic," she said as she laid down, closing her eyes briefly.

 

"You're exhausted already, aren't you?" Minju asked softly.

 

"A bit," Chaewon acquiesced.

 

"Then I'd better leave you rest," Minju said, walking towards the door.

 

"Good night." Chaewon would love for Minju to stay for a moment, but she knew Minju was also tired.

 

"Good night. Sleep tight," Minju said cutely, closing the door slowly. Chaewon didn't even bother changing her clothes for the day, falling asleep immediately. 

 

It was a sound that woke her up suddenly, making her jump to her feet. The sound hadn't been that loud, but given her own military training and the calmness to which she had fallen asleep, she had no choice but to jump to action. Stealthily leaving the house, her sword in her hand, she crouched in front of the door, pausing to hear anything out of place. There was another sound, quieter than the one that had woken her up, but not silent enough she wouldn't hear it. Walking towards the barn, her thoughts went back to the claw mark she had seen while in her tour with Minju, and her heart started pumping immediately. Though she didn't have a leg anymore, she felt the need to protect her new family as much as she could.

 

Now in front of the barn, she waited for another sound to come out, but when nothing else happened, she opened the door slightly, hoping she wouldn't rouse whatever was in there. Looking through the crack, she finally saw THE beast. A gigantic thing that could easily tower over even the tallest orc. She couldn't see it clearly, as the beast wasn't facing the door, but she could see glimpses of the claws.that, most likely, had made the marks on the ground. It was a fight Chaewon knew she couldn't win, at all. Turning to look for Minju and her family, to help them escape this beast to get help, she tried walking towards Minju's house, but heard the animal run towards the barn door.

 

Chaewon, now completely alert (and quite fearful), started running, leaving the stealth, knowing that the animal had already detected her.

 

She strained her ears to her the animal's cries, hoping to know how close was it to her, but the cries sounded like...

 

"Chaewon! Chaewon! I'ts me! It's me! Don't run!" The beasts words made Chaewon stop completely. Surely not...

 

"It's me! Don't run away!" The roars were deafening now that the beast was close, but Chaewon knew that it wouldn't hurt her.

 

"Minju?" Chaewon asked, turning around to face the beast, already feeling many emotions coiling in her gut.

 

"YES! It's me! Minju!" the beast sounded almost... relieved, but Chaewon felt no relief, only...

 

"What the hell," she deadpanned, feeling fury extend to her chest.

 

"Chaewon! I can explain!"

 

"When were you going to tell me about this?" Contrary to what most people would expect of her, her voice was quiet, filled with contained anger. "Or were you even planning to tell me this?"

 

"I was going to tell you!"

 

"When? After the ceremony? When I would have no more say about our relationship anymore?"

 

"No! I just..."

 

"Did you even care about me? Did you even...?" Chaewon choked on her words. "I need to leave."

 

"No! Chaewon, please let me explain!"

 

"For what? What makes you think I'll believe you now?" Chaewon ran towards the house she had been staying at. Minju ran behind her and tried to take a grab at her. Chaewon tried ducking, but couldn't avoid the slash at her back, making her stumble in pain.

 

"Oh my god! I'm sorry! Chaewon, I..."

 

"Save it, just save it," Chaewon said, her voice wavering at the pain. Opening the door, she didn't even let Minju say anything before slamming the door in her face. 

 

Running for her stuff, she still heard Minju's cries at the door, but she didn't want to listen anymore. Opening the window facing the open wilderness, she jumped through it, running towards the woods. It took a moment for Minju to sense her leaving, but it was enough time for Chaewon to hide between the trees.

 

Minju stood there, crying for Chaewon to come out. It wasn't like Chaewon said, and she needed for Chaewon to know, for Chaewon to stay and listen. She could hear her parents run towards her, probably having had to run several miles to help her, but they didn't know her cries were not because of physical danger.

 

She realized that she couldn't feel Chaewon's presence in the house anymore. Running towards the main road, she panicked when she saw that Chaewon wasn't anywhere to be seen, and she couldn't feel her presence anymore. She couldn't give up, she couldn't let Chaewon leave without knowing that she really meant to tell her, that she truly wanted Chaewon to be a part of her whole world.

 

Running through the main road, she stopped several times to try and sense Chaewon. It took her a moment before she was able to feel someone near. Relieved, once again, she ran towards the source of heat, but instead of being greeted with blonde hair and warm eyes, she was met with many people, a party... Oh, no.

 

One of them, an orc, had looked at her in amaze for a moment before smirking. "Look at what we have here." The other party members turned to look at her, but she gave them no time to even think about attacking her, as she started running back to the farm. 

 

She could hear them pursuing her, but they couldn't possibly keep up with her, did they?

 

Except that they either had a Mage with them or had used a potion, and their speed was rivaling hers. She didn't stop until she heard one of them groan, as if in pain. Turning to see, despite her biggest insticts of survival, she was met with a human who had fallen to the ground, a bolt buried in his stomach. The others had stopped suddenly, trying to help their friend. From the forest a small figure came out, fire in her eyes and a crossbow in her arms.

 

"I'm giving you three seconds to leave, before I kill your sorry asses," the voice bellowed authoritatively.

 

"Huh, and what can you even do, you puny human?"

 

"Kill your friend," Chaewon answered calmly. "My bolts are laced with venom. I don't even need to pierce your heart. Just your arm will do." Chaewon focused the crossbow at the orc, who turned to look at their fallen friend, who was groaning in pain.

 

"Help me, you idiots! Get me a healer!"

 

"And you dumbasses don't even have a healer," Chaewon t'sked. "Who's going to save you?" Everyone else looked at each other for a moment.

 

"Maybe we should leave the beast be, huh?" one of them said finally. "Let the girl get the beast for herself. It ain't worth the trip to the healer."

 

 _Wow, they don't even care about their friend_ , Minju thought bitterly, somehow making her ask herself who was the real beast here.

 

The orc, who seemed to be the leader of the group, seemed to be in deep thought, but was startled from it when a bolt flew right beside his head.

 

"Next shot I'll hit the mark."

 

"i'd like to see you try," the orc, spurned by the threat, taunted. Chaewon shrugged, clicking on the trigger. Minju closed her eyes, not bearing to see what would happen, but scared enough to hear a body hit the ground.

 

"Run! Run from this bitch!" a guy exclaimed. Opening her eyes, she found the orc's corpse on the ground, a bolt through his head. The injured man was now half-dead, having been left behind by his party. The only person who stood there was Chaewon.

 

"Chaewon!" it was in this moment that she hated her monstrous voice more than anything in this world. 

 

Chaewon lowered her weapon, her body now trembling. "Just... go home, Minju. Go home." 

 

"I can't let you go like this! I need you to know! Chaewon, I..."

 

"I don't want to hear it," Chaewon said crisply, but her features softened after a moment. "I promise I'll come back. I just..." the older woman looked so tired in that moment. "I need time to think. I need time to... process this. Please, go home."

 

Minju wanted to plead more, to tell Chaewon to come back, that she should at least let her dad check on her injuries, but she could see it in Chaewon's eyes. She needed to get away, not just from her, but from this whole scenery, and she immediately understood why her body seemed to hunch, like she was fighting with herself, how her eyes were wavering, clouding up like that day at the circus tent.

 

Minju huffed in agreement. "Please be safe."

 

Chaewon nodded, and in a few moments, she had already run into the woods, away from Minju's sight.

 

This had been Chaewon's most difficult trial.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry?


	5. Click OK for your 60 Day Trial

Wrapping her hands around the hoe, Minju started weeding out the garden, moving surely, and leaving any other uncharitable thoughts out of her mind. It was better this way.

 

It had been 5 days since she saw Chaewon run to the forest, and it had been one of the most stressful times of her life.

 

Having returned at first with a heavy heart, she had been ambushed by her parents, who questioned her well-being. When Minju told them the story, her mother had said that it was better to let Chaewon go. The thing is, Minju didn’t want to.

 

It’s true, she still had two years before her 24th birthday, and she could still find somebody else. But Chaewon wasn’t just about any person.

 

She didn’t understand how, but she had become so attached to the older woman in such a short span she could barely believe it herself. There was something that made her feel almost immediately comfortable. Maybe the openness with which she was received. Chaewon, despite her own difficulties, had hidden nothing from her, freely speaking about the bad things in her life. It was natural for Minju to feel the desire to have her know everything about her.

 

Except one thing.

 

“Minju! Minju!” his dad was running towards her, full speed. “Chaewon is here!”

 

“Really?” Minju exclaimed, feeling relief at Chaewon’s kept promise to come back. “I told you dad! I told you she would come back!” she ran towards the house, having left the hoe on the ground.

 

Composing herself just before she entered her parents’ home, she took a deep breath before entering.

 

“Chaewon! You are here! Are you okay?” Minju said without taking a pause. Chaewon cracked a small smile, standing up from one of the kitchen chairs.

 

“I’m as good as new,” she said, twirling for a moment, surprising Minju in how carefree, borderline playful her behavior was. However, she frowned when she looked at Chaewon’s bandaged stump.

 

“What happened to your leg?”

 

“I’m not supposed to run in this thing, so...” Chaewon patted her wooden leg. She straightened up, her features becoming deceptively serene. “I think we need to talk.”

 

“We do,” Minju answered nervously, turning to look at her mom, who had silently watched over them during their talk. “Could you leave us for a moment?”

 

“But... what if...?”

 

“If I wanted to kill your daughter, I would have done that five days ago,” Chaewon declared in a monotone, as if she expected the doubt. It made Minju feel sad.

 

“Go, mom. We’ll be fine.” Minju smiled at her mother, gesturing for her to leave. After a moment of hesitation, Minju’s mom left the house, but would probably linger outside the door to check on Minju.

 

“In the army, there were some mages who would often use transfiguration to immobilize people. Is this something like your condition?” Chaewon asked right after her mother left.

 

“More or less.” Minju took a deep breath. “Do you remember when I told you about my grandparents and their end?” Chaewon nodded. “I mean, that happened, but... there was something else. I-I’m not sure about the details, because we were told this by one of the survivors, but my grandparents fought against the druids as much as they could. My grandmother managed to severely injure someone... a very powerful mage who put a spell on all of us.”

 

“Your parents too?”

 

“Just my mom. The curse is only through blood.” Chaewon nodded, turning her head to face the window.

 

“The spell has me and my mom turning into beasts as the night appears. I can’t eat vegetables, nor eat grains... only meat.” Chaewon didn’t answer, so Minju, scared at the unchanging expression on Chaewon’s face, asked, “Are you afraid?

 

“You could have killed half of that party in just one blow. You ran away instead. I know you are not evil,” Chaewon answered, leaving both of them in a suffocating silence. Minju didn’t say anything, as she could see Chaewon was fighting with herself, probably trying to put her thoughts in order.

 

“Did you know how I really felt when I finally sent you home?” she asked quietly. “I felt pathetic. I felt so pathetic for protecting someone who didn’t care about me.”

 

“You aren’t pathetic,” Minju rebutted, but Chaewon disregarded her words.

 

“And then, I felt anger. I felt that, maybe, you had only accepted me because you knew no one else would want me, so I would just accept whatever you threw at me.” Chaewon took frowned, as if she was remembering. “And then, I felt longing.” Minju’s heart filled with hope. “I longed to see you smile, instead of hearing you cry for me.” Chaewon turned to finally look at Minju. “Why didn’t you tell me? Why did you wait so long to even think about telling me?”

 

Minju turned to look at her quivering hands. It took her a moment to gain courage. “I-do you know how does it feel to become a beast? Do you know how I felt when one night I turned into a hideous beast?” she sniffed. “I was at the pier when that happened, and we were chased out of Port Novello immediately.” Minju didn’t think she could ever forget that night. “I didn’t even know what was happening to me, and I had to leave everything I’d ever known.”

 

“From then on, we had no one except Mr Rokus and each other. We have no friends, no one who would help us.” Minju’s eyes filled with tears, her voice wavering at the end. “Do you know how many times I wished to have someone who I could talk to? Someone I could trust with anything? Do you know how many times I wished I could freely travel with Mr Rokus? Do you know how many times I wished to be... just Minju?”

 

“When the matchmaker came, all I wanted was someone who could love me, condition and all... But when I met you, I just... I didn’t want my whole life to be dictated by what I am. I wanted, even if for a fleeting moment, to be just you and me, and nothing else.” She had the urge to look at Chaewon, but at the same time she felt ashamed of the whimpers coming out of her mouth. “I’m so sorry, Chaewon. I never wanted to make you feel like this. I was only thinking about myself, and I didn’t think about how this would affect you,” Minju sobbed. For a moment, the only sound in the house were her cries.

 

“Come here.” And she was engulfed in a warm hug. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. I wish I knew how to make you feel better.”

 

 _You already are,_  Minju thought as she cried in Chaewon’s arms.

 

“Sorry for wetting your clothes,” Minju apologized when her sobs subsided.

 

“It’s okay.” Chaewon soothed, patting her back, slightly. They finally broke the embrace.

 

“Are we... Is the wedding still on?” Minju asked, hating to break the warm atmosphere, but needing the answer more than ever. Chaewon’s face hardened at the question, making Minju fear the worst.

 

“Even though I understand your reasons for not telling me, I would’ve appreciated being trusted in the same way I trusted you. I can’t forget you hid something like this from me.” Chaewon turned to look at the door, probably aware of Minju’s mom at the end of it. “I have a condition.”

 

“Tell me.”

 

“I want you to come live with me to Lovac for the next two months.”

 

Minju’s eyes grew like saucers. “What?”

 

“I know you don’t quite like the city, but I don’t want more secrets between us. And, to be honest, I want to be in a place that I feel comfortable in. If, by the end of those two months, there are no serious secrets between us, then let’s get married.”

 

Minju gaped for a moment, not having expected that at all. “I-Oh-Okay,” she agreed easily.

 

“Really?” Chaewon asked, surprised. “You’re not going to discuss it with your parents?”

 

“I don’t need permission from my parents,” Minju said quietly, hoping her mother didn’t hear her.

 

“Well, I’d still like it if you took a moment to think about it. Talk it out with your parents, your chickens, whoever needs to be talked to, and then send me a letter. I’ll come to pick you up.”

 

“You don’t have to go. If I have to have this talk, it would, at most, take me a day.” Chaewon seemed hesitant.

 

“I’ll stay at an inn close to Cauley and come back on Friday.” Minju could see that Chaewon was avoiding to stay here at all costs, and it made Minju feel hurt. Could this really work? Could they really work if Chaewon distrusted her this much?

 

“I... Could you do something for me before you go?” Minju asked hesitantly, wanting to test Chaewon. She didn’t want to agree to something if their relationship was not salvageable.

 “Could you speak with my parents?” Chaewon stuttered at the petition. “Please, listen to them as you have me.”

 

“Okay,” Chaewon said after a moment, but her expression looked troubled. “Okay.”

 

“Thank you.” Minju smiled sadly.

 

“Do you want me to speak to them now?” Chaewon asked awkwardly. After all, her previous interaction with Minju’s mom wasn’t nice.

 

“If you want to.” Chaewon nodded and walked towards the door. When the door opened, Minju’s mom, predictably almost fell, as she was most likely, by leaning against the door.

 

“Mom, could you bring dad? Chaewon would like to speak with you.” Chaewon grumbled a little, but seemed to understand that it was necessary. Her mom turned to look at Chaewon, then Minju.

 

“Sure,” she said, having seen Minju’s pleading expression. “I’ll bring him in a moment.”

 

 

After a moment, Chaewon and her parents were sitting on opposite sides of the kitchen table. Minju stood up in front of the furnace, hoping to be a passive person in the conversation.

 

“I’m sorry for what I told you earlier,” Chaewon started by apologizing to Minju’s mom. “I know you worry about your daughter, and I guess... given what happened, I can see why you would feel the way you felt.”

 

Her mother looked shocked at the apology. “It’s alright. I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions so soon. As far as Minnie told us, you do sound like a nice person. Moreover, I know this was just sprung to you out of nowhere. You’re reaction was normal.”

 

“I’d say she reacted better than the most people,” Minju’s father interjected. “Do you still want to marry our daughter?”

 

“I’m unsure. Is there anything else I should know about you?”

 

“If Minju has filled you in with the story, then I think not. Aside from my family’s condition, we are just plain farmers. What you see is what you get.” Chaewon nodded.

 

“Have you ever tried investigating how to take this curse away?”

 

“We don’t even know where to begin. We have never interacted with many mages before, so we have no idea where to look.”

 

“Do you know what exact curse was placed upon you?”

 

“No, what we do know is from tales of survivors to the Shadow Druid incident.” Chaewon nodded.

 

“A few moments ago, when I was speaking with Minju, I told her that I had a condition if we were to marry, which she can refuse if she wants to. I want her to come live with me to Lovac for two months.”

 

“What?! That’s preposterous!” Minju’s mom exclaimed.

 

“Mom, listen to what she has to say,” Minju chastised, which made Minju’s mom give a little glare to Minju, but made her be quiet nonetheless.

 

“I know, given what happened, this whole thing seems like a gamble from both sides, but, if Minju wants to, I want to give this a try again,” Chaewon continued.

 

“If you can’t trust us, and my wife can’t trust you, why do you want to try?” Minju’s dad asked in genuine curiosity.

 

Chaewon lowered her head, as if it was difficult to answer. “I’m a difficult person. Grumpy, irritable, stubborn. It’s not easy for me to talk about... emotional things, but I connected with Minju in a way I haven’t connected with anyone. I don’t how or why, but I just... I felt, since we first met, this feeling of ease, of comfort, of peace when I’m around her. I don’t want to lose her.”

 

Minju felt a big urge to hug Chaewon, damned be her mother’s opposition, but she forced herself to stay put, knowing that her mother could only be convinced of this if Chaewon herself spoke to her.

 

Minju’s mom was quiet for moment, as if she was stunned to silence by Chaewon’s words. After a moment, she said, “Please, take care of our Minju.”

 

Chaewon raised her head. “I wouldn’t dream otherwise.” It made Minju smile from ear to ear.

 

“When are you leaving?” Minju’s dad asked.

 

“You’re not going to ask your daughter if she wants to go?” Chaewon raised an eyebrow.

 

“Oh, I know she really wants to go. Did she tell you how she fared these past few days?” he said teasingly.

 

“Dad!” Minju whined, not wanting Chaewon to know this.

 

“No, she didn’t,” Chaewon denied, looking at Minju’s dad with interest.

 

“The poor girl was just moping all around the place. Once I found her leaning on one of the cows, bucket of milk in hand, looking at the door like it was the love of her life.”

 

“Dad!” Minju covered her face with her hands, wishing her father had kept this to himself.

 

“How about when Minnie stared at the window and zoned out for so long that her meal went cold?” her mom said teasingly.

 

“Mom...” Chaewon laughed.

 

“I’ll have you know I wasn’t any better. I almost fell into a pit once because I was too absorbed in my own thoughts.”

 

“Really?” her mom asked in disbelief.

 

And, just like that, the ice broke between Chaewon and Minju’s parents, as the conversation between all of them started flowing (sometimes at the expense of Chaewon and Minju), to the point that they stopped only after the sun started setting in.

 

Maybe things would be okay.


	6. The City Dilemma

Although she had already been here before, Minju still had a sense of awe when crossing the gates of that gigantic city. The overwhelming feeling of being so small made her feel nervous, more so when she knew she would be getting to know the different corners of this city sooner rather than later.

 

One of the gatekeepers greeted them both, confusion written in his features. Minju was only able to bow slightly when Chaewon told him they would talk later.

 

She trusted Chaewon, but the idea of her curse being revealed to everyone Chaewon knew was nauseating to Minju, making her grab onto Chaewon's shirt.

 

"Hey, don't worry. I won't tell anyone about it," Chaewon reassured, as if she could read Minju's mind.

 

Minju sighed inwardly, feeling more at ease.

 

Still, she could feel the lingering tension between them, despite Chaewon's outwardly calm demeanor.

 

When they had to stop for the night, Chaewon didn't even think twice before suggesting she'd stay awake the whole night. Despite numerous protests from Minju, Chaewon couldn't be persuaded.

 

"I want you to be safe," she had said stubbornly just before Minju transformed into a beast.

 

Chaewon had been almost... paranoid throughout the entire journey.

 

And now that they were in the city, she could feel Chaewon relax little by little.

 

The district Chaewon lived in looked just the same as when she had arrived a few weeks back, with people walking now back to their houses and kids running towards their parents after a day of fun. Minju tried imagining living here for a long time, but it was still difficult. The city still seemed so unsurmountable to her, she'd rather just live at the farm.

 

(Not to mention the fear she had of being discovered.

 

However, she trusted Chaewon, and, at some point, knew Chaewon would protect her secret.)

 

"Hey! Yah!" Minju heard in the distance, making her turn her head towards the person yelling at them. It was Yujin, rushing towards them.

 

"What?" Chaewon asked non-chalantly when Yujin was finally in front of them.

 

"Don't what me, Kim Chaewon," Yujin reproached, pointing her finger at her friend. "You were supposed to be at Minju's farm, with Minju in it!" Turning to look at Minju, she put her hands on Minju's shoulders. "Minju, my child, what happened?"

 

"Don't scare her," Chaewon threatened, though her voice was light, if a little guarded.

 

"Uhm, we just decided to get married later," Minju answered hesitantly, not knowing what exactly to tell her, or if even tell her anything at all.

 

"Why? You two are like two peas in a pod!"

 

"We'll get married soon enough," Chaewon said offhandedly, but Yujin didn't have it. Instead, she turned to gaze into Chaewon's eyes, as if to silently argue with her. Chaewon met her gaze, not backing down from the challenge.

 

After a moment of deliberation, Yujin lowered her head, sighing.

 

"Okay, okay. Fine," Yujin exclaimed, releasing Minju's shoulders. "These kids are going to be the end of me," Yujin said, dramatically clutching her chest. Minju laughed lighty despite the tense showdown between friends, but Chaewon just rolled her eyes.

 

"We're leaving," Chaewon announced, taking Minju's arm and guiding her towards their home.

 

"Fine, fine. Be like that Kim Chaewon! Abandon me for your wife!" Yujin yelled, but didn't follow them, to Chaewon's relief.

 

"Is Yujin okay?" Minju asked, turning to look at the woman who was still looking at them in the distance.

 

"She's just being a worrywart. Nothing bad," Chaewon shrugged, but Minju didn't like it. After all, Yujin had been extremely welcoming and friendly towards her since the first time they met. Not to mention, she was someone important to Chaewon. Hiding this made her feel guilty.

 

"Should… should I tell her?" Minju voiced, despite her fears, making Chaewon stop walking.

 

"No, you shouldn't. Not if you feel uncomfortable," Chaewon answered resolutely. "I'll think about what to say to her later."

 

"Would you lie to your friend?" Minju asked, unable to keep the worry off her voice.

 

"No, of course not," Chaewon denied. "I just need her to understand that this is something between you and me and she can't meddle." Minju nodded, though Chaewon's words didn't disipate her own personal guilt, a guilt that would last even as they arrived at Chaewon's house.

 

Although it had been unhabited for a couple of weeks, Chaewon's house still felt warm and accomodating, a relief that both Minju and Chaewon felt. Minju examined everything in the house, even when she had already done so the first time she came to visit Chaewon.

 

"Welcome to my house, again," Chaewon said awkwardly. "Though I know it's nothing like the farm, I hope you can feel comfortable here."

 

"Thank you, Chaewon." Minju smiled slightly. Returning the smile, Chaewon walked towards one of the cabinets next to her bed, and rummaged through it.

 

"Are you prone to feeling cold?" she asked, getting some blankets out.

 

"On the contrary, I'm prone to being warm…" Minju rubbed her arm, balking for a moment before saying, "it comes with being whatever I am."

 

Chaewon frowned at the small voice, but, not knowing what to say, she ended up answering in a lighter tone, "then you'll be right at home here, since this house is cold as hell."

 

Minju smiled in appreciation at the lighthearted words, but said nothing.

 

"Well, let me… Here, you can put your clothes in this cabinet," Chaewon signaled at the piece of furniture she had been tinkering with. "I'll be using these blankets." Putting said blankets on the bed, she helped Minju with the rutsack that contained the few belongings she had brought with herself from the farm. "If you want some help, just tell me. I'll be at the kitchen for a moment."

 

Minju nodded, turning to look at Chaewon as she walked to the tiny kitchen. After a moment, she finally decided to sort out her belongings. It wasn't all that difficult, as most were clothes with the occasional book or so. She had honestly wanted to bring more things, but she suspected that it would have been more difficult to travel with more luggage (not to mention the possibility of attracting thieves; although she knew Chaewon could handle them, she didn't want Chaewon to do so, not when she was so vulnerable).

 

The task took a few minutes, and after Minju finished, she walked towards Chaewon, who now was crouching, looking at something in the stove.

 

"What are you doing?"

 

"Checking behind the stove. We haven't used it for a while, so I need to see if everything is okay."

 

"Do you want me to look at it?" Minju offered, surprising Chaewon.

 

Although Chaewon knew her way around a stove, she didn't want to reject Minju's proposal, so she stood up, leaving space for Minju to crouch. "If it's not too much trouble."

 

Minju crouched slowly, concentrating immediately on checking the stove. After a few moments, Minju finally stood up, dusting her hands on her clothes.

 

"So?"

 

"As far as I could see, there is nothing wrong with it. It's a little rusty, but nothing else." Chaewon nodded.

 

"Recommendations?"

 

"Just be careful of the wood you use," Minju advised.

 

"What do you mean?" Chaewon prodded for a longer explanation. After all, in the military they used whatever they could to light a fire to both get warm and cook, so to her it made no difference.

 

"I mean, aside from not using wet or humid wood, some types of wood can leave residue that ends up rusting the stove over time," Minju explained, her voice a remnant of happiness. She liked the idea of teaching Chaewon something she didn't know about.

 

Chaewon assented again. "Did you learn this at the farm?"

 

"Well, yeah, dad always wanted me to have enough knowledge to take care of myself, in case something happened." Minju rubbed her neck, self-conscious of her own skills.

 

"Pretty impresive," Chaewon praised. "I only learned to sort of deal with the stove because my dad once asked me to fix the one at the pub. Took me hours to figure out what was wrong with it."

 

Somehow, Minju could picture Chaewon huffing in impatience as she gazed fornlornly at the broken down stove. It made her giggle. "I can imagine."

 

Clearing her throat, Chaewon said, "talking about stoves. I don't think we can cook right now, since we don't have any food. Would you mind if we ate at my parents' pub?"

 

The question froze Minju for a moment. Her parents' pub? Although she logically knew Chaewon's parents were not alive anymore, the idea of getting into a space owned by Chaewon's family made her a little nervous. Moreover, her uncle ought to be there. Would she meet him then?

 

"We can also ask Yujin for some meat?" Chaewon said hesitantly after noticing Minju's nervousness.

 

This took Minju out of her reverie. "No, it's fine. Let's go to your parents' pub." Smiling when Chaewon looked at her suspiciously, she added. "Really, I want to go."

 

"Fine, but if you feel uncomfortable, just tell me and we'll return."

 

"Don't worry. I'll be just fine," Minju reassured, taking Chaewon's hand. "Let's go?"

 

Chaewon tried suppressing a smile at the gesture, but was ultimately unable to. "Follow me."

 

The walk to Chaewon's family's pub was a long one, as the pub was in another district. Chaewon constantly pointed at the different places of the districts they had to go through, which fascinated Minju, but made her feel a little overwhelmed. She knew that it would take a while for her to memorize this place, doubting if even two months would be enough.

 

Outdoors was a little chilly, so the change in temperature when they entered the pub was noticeable for Minju, but not necessarily welcome. There were so many people inside the relatively small building, which made it hotter than what Minju was used to. Everyone inside was talking, strong voices that verged on screams could be heard, to the point that Minju felt the impulse to cover her ears. Feeling Chaewon tug her hand, she turned to the woman, who was busy admiring the place she had probably not seen for a long time. It made Minju smile, compensating a little for the excessive sound, temperature, and lack of space.

 

"They have barely changed anything," Chaewon mumbled before turning to look at Minju. Blushing a little when met with Minju's stare, she stammered. "W-what's wrong?"

 

"Nothing," Minju answered. "Where are we going to sit? It's filled with people."

 

"Upstairs, as soon as…" They were interrupted when a man poked Chaewon's shoulder. "Oh, uncle Hyukjun."

 

The man sported a smile that to Minju seemed forced. "Hello, Chaewon, long time no see." Chaewon nodded, acknowledging the greeting. "What are you doing here?"

 

"I just want to have a warm meal with my fiancee," Chaewon answered, bringing Minju to her uncle's attention.

 

Aware of the new set of eyes looking at her, she smiled politely, introducing herself shyly. "Nice to meet you, I'm Kim Minju."

 

Hyukjun's smile became less forced, though it still had a fake quality Minju could recognize. "Likewise. I'm Baek Hyukjun." Clearing his throat, he asked, turning to Chaewon, "when are you getting married?"

 

"Two months," Chaewon answered dryly, changing the topic immediately. "Would it be rude to ask for a seat upstairs?"

 

"No, no, of course not," Hyukjun said, his voice darkening slightly. "This place is yours, after all."

 

Chaewon nodded. "Then, we'll be going there. Would you please sell us some roast?"

 

"I'll tell you when it's ready," he answered. "It was nice to meet you, Miss Kim," he said lowly before leaving the couple alone.

 

Chaewon guided them upstairs, her steps a little clumsy due to her wooden leg. To Minju's relief, the whole area was empty. Seating on the table farthest from the stairs, Minju breathed a little, feeling less suffocated that when she first entered.

 

"He, uhm, is very polite," she commented, not knowing how to say what she really wanted.

 

Chaewon snorted. "He is polite, alright."

 

"Does he… did he take care of you when your parents passed away?" she asked instead.

 

"We were never really close," Chaewon disclosed. "When my parents died, I left for the army and left him with the pub, so he's had to take care of it for a long time." Leaning forward, she whispered, as if telling a secret, "he's a not a big fan of me, given that this pub is still legally mine."

 

"I imagined," Minju confessed, elaborating when Chaewon raised an eyebrow. "I mean, he didn't seem all too happy to see you."

 

Chaewon nodded. "Can't blame him, either. At some point, I think he is afraid I could take away this from him at any time."

 

"Would you ever do it?" Minju asked, even though she couldn't imagine Chaewon being cruel, even if her uncle didn't harbor charitable thoughts towards her.

 

"No, of course not. Between you and me, I've been considering leaving the pub to him. After all, he's the one who has tended to it."

 

"Really? But what about your parents?"

 

"This pub is my parents' legacy, but a legacy I didn't work for. I don't know how to take care of a pub, and, honestly, I don't think I will ever need to learn, since I'll be tending to cows for the next several years." Chaewon's words made Minju smile a little, but, at some point, astonished her. Despite Chaewon's reasonable arguments, this was still her parents' legacy. If Minju would've been in Chaewon's place, she might have felt obligated to tend to the pub, as a way to honor her parents.

 

"Would you really be okay with living at the farm?" Minju asked, feeling guilt at the idea of making Chaewon abandon her parents' last memories.

 

The question surprised Chaewon, who tried looking into Minju's eyes for a moment before sighing. Grabbing her hand, she asked, "what is bothering you?"

 

"It's just… Is it really okay to abandon your parents' legacy to come live with me?"

 

Chaewon frowned, Minju's words making her take a moment to formulate what she wanted to say. "My parents left this pub behind, but I know it to not be their most important legacy. I am their most important legacy, and I know that what they wanted was for me to leave a life that reflected them, their love, their care. And what I hope for… is to live that life with you." She seemed a little embarrassed at saying the last part, but she forced herself to say it, knowing that Minju needed to hear these words.

 

The younger woman felt her stomach fluttering, making her squeeze Chaewon's hand, both in appreciation and as way to dispel the blush. Despite being slated to wed later on, it still made her feel bashful, in a way. After all, she had never heard Chaewon speak so passionately about it.

 

Chaewon cleared her throat. "Besides, it's not like you're not making an effort. You came here to live among strangers."

 

"You know you're not a stranger," Minju rebutted.

 

"But I am not your parents, and this city is unlike the farm," Chaewon shot back. "I know you're making an effort by agreeing to come live with me. Don't downplay that."

 

Minju shrugged, not knowing what to say. At some point, she did acknowledge it. After all, the ambience within the pub was still a little difficult for her to withstand. How would it be to visit all of the districts when people are out and about? Probably more populated than they are now.

 

Turning to look out the window, she gasped. The sun was already setting in the horizon, meaning she didn't have much time left.

 

"What is it?" Chaewon seemingly came to the same conclusions Minju had, as she suddenly stood up, tending her hand to Minju. "Would you like to eat our meal back at my house?"

 

"Sorry," Minju apologized, but Chaewon shook her head.

 

"It's nothing," she answered, gesturing to her outstretched hand. Taking it, they both walked downstairs, bumping into Chaewon's uncle.

 

"Oh, are you leaving?" Hyukjun asked, confused by the sudden departure.

 

"We'd rather eat at home tonight," Chaewon answered. "Would it be too much to ask you to wrap our food?"

 

"Not at all. Let me go do it." They only had to wait for a minute before he came back with a small bag. "Here's the food. Hope you have a good night."

 

"You too, uncle."

 

"Hope you have a nice stay here, Miss Kim."

 

"Thank you," Minju said, bowing slightly. Both left the pub immediately after that.

 

The walk towards Chaewon's house was less leisurely, with Minju all but running. Chaewon could only follow her, understanding Minju's alarm. It was a huge relief for Minju when she crossed the door's threshold into Chaewon's house.

 

Still feeling the adrenaline of rushing through the city, Minju heaved a sigh, turning to look at Chaewon, who was putting their meal on the table.

 

"Shall we eat?" Chaewon asked courteously, though Minju could see that she was worried about her.

 

"We should," Minju smiled as naturally as she could, her heart still beating out of her chest. She would have liked to believe that it was all because of the adrenaline, but when she started to feel the characteristic pain in her midriff, she knew it not to be the case. She squeaked, clutching her chest as she felt the changes in her body start to happen.

 

She could hear Chaewon's voice as if it was far away from her, even when she knew Chaewon was close by. The pain lasted for a few moments, but when Minju felt the ceiling too close to her head, she opened her eyes. In front of her was Chaewon, her eyes filled with worry, devoid of the disgust and anger she was always afraid of seeing, in her hands a pitcher full of water.

 

"Here, drink some," Chaewon directed softly as she offered the pitcher to Minju, who tried grabbing it, but was unsuccessful. "Get closer."

 

Ducking her head and hunching her body, she was able to get closer to Chaewon, enough to have the other woman pour water into her mouth. The water felt refreshing to her burning body and she whimpered in delight. However, the pitcher was not enough for Minju's body, so Chaewon had to refill it several times before Minju felt more comfortable in her body.

 

"Thank you, Chaewon," Minju said shyly. It was still difficult for her to have Chaewon helping her, even when she had done so since the first night they were travelling to Lovac.

 

"Are you okay?"

 

"I…" When she moved one of her legs, she heard the sound of debris falling. Turning to look at the place the sound came from, she found a chair that had been smashed so thoroughly that it wouldn't be possible to rebuild or fix it. "Oh, no. I'm so sorry."

 

"Don't worry about it," Chaewon said. "It was already an old chair." Her words didn't make Minju feel better.

 

"But…" Chaewon sighed for a moment before her expression became more resolute.

 

"If you want to make up for it, why don't you make a chair yourself?"

 

"Huh?" Minju didn't expect that.

 

"You have worked with building small things at the farm, haven't you? Build me a chair, and we're even," Chaewon explained, nodding her head.

 

"Tomorrow morning?" Minju asked, actually liking the idea.

 

"Whenever you want. Just build me the sturdiest chair ever." Chaewon raised her hand, as if to shake on it.

 

Minju grabbed Chaewon's tiny (in beast form, at least) in hers, shaking it slightly. "Deal."

 

Chaewon looked satisfied with the resolution. "So, do you want to have dinner now?"

 

"I don't know if I can," Minju said, raising her hands in a wordless explanation.

 

"I can help you, if you want, of course."

 

"It's okay. I'll eat tomorrow," Minju answered, embarrassed at the prospect of having Chaewon dump food in her mouth so she could eat. "I'm used to not eating at this hour." And really, most times, she didn't eat when she was changed into a beast.

 

"Are you sure?" Chaewon asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

"Yes, don't worry." Minju smiled. Chaewon, deciding to not push Minju to do something she didn't want to, stood up to grab her own meal, sitting down next to Minju, who gave her a surprised look. Chaewon didn't answer anything, but gave a bite to her meal.

 

"When I was in the army, our meal quantity would be determined by how much work we did during the day," Chaewon started telling. "The problem with that was, that it was determined by our commanders, and most times our commanders would say we were lazy, no matter what we did, and ended up not having supper."

 

"That sounds terrible," Minju commented, turning to look at Chaewon.

 

Chaewon shrugged her shoulders. "Now that I'm not in the army, I guess I'm not that hungry at this hour of the day either." But she continued eating nevertheless.

 

"It's just weird," Minju confessed. "Being in this form, I feel the urge to only eat meat, and I don't really want to unless necessary. The second time I changed… I ended up eating some goat…" Minju paused, trying to see if that horrified Chaewon, but seeing the older woman just look at her attentively, a empathetic glint in her eyes, she continued. "But it just made he hungrier. Since then, I just don't eat when I'm like this."

 

Chaewon nodded in understanding, knowing that it probably hasn't been easy for Minju to be like this for so long.

 

"Well, we have no goats here, so I guess I'll have to feed you before the sun goes down," Chaewon said as jokingly as she could, making Minju laugh slightly. The sound, however, was quite loud, making Minju cover her mouth with one of her hands.

 

"Sorry."

 

"Don't worry about it. Unlike the inn, it's really difficult to be overheard," Chaewon said, trying to dispel Minju's worries. "And no one really enters houses randomly, so you're pretty safe here." Chaewon hadn't really finished the meal, but she didn't seem to mind, as she stood up, placing the meal in the table.

 

"Are you feeling tired?" Chaewon asked, walking towards the bed.

 

"Not really. To be honest, I can't really sleep until the early morning."

 

"Don't you get bored with all that free time?"

 

"Sometimes. At the farm, I usually would just go explore in the nearby woods to help my boredom." Chaewon looked pensively at Minju.

 

"Won't you be bored here?"

 

Minju shook her head. "I don't think so." But Chaewon knew Minju's words were meant to be reassuring, despite no truth being in them.

 

Sighing, she suggested, "If you want to, let's sleep outside… well, I sleep outside, and you entertain yourself somehow."

 

Minju shook her head effusively. "No, I don't want you to sleep uncomfortably for my sake."

 

"I don't want you to be bored for hours on end," Chaewon said disapprovingly. "We'll reach a middle ground tomorrow."

 

Chaewon's words were firm, though not grave, giving no room for opposition, so Minju accepted. At some point, she also agreed with Chaewon. It would be extremely boring to spend the whole night lying down in Chaewon's house, unable to even grab a book to read. She could watch Chaewon sleep, but she somehow knew Chaewon wouldn't appreaciate the observation of her slumber.

 

"Okay." Chaewon looked more satisfied with Minju's compliance. "Do you need anything else?"

 

"No, I think I'll be okay," Minju said, holding her ground when Chaewon looked at her questioningly.

 

"Please, don't hesitate to tell me if you need something. I want to help you." And although Chaewon's words seemed benign enough, fitting in the current situation, Minju felt they meant much more, and for that she felt grateful, even when she already knew through experience that there was no way for the curse to be cancelled.

 

"I know," she answered sweetly. "Thank you, Chaewon."

 

"It's nothing," Chaewon denied. "I just want to see you happy."

 

It was these words that stayed with Minju the whole night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In honor of Chaewon's short, orange hair <3


End file.
